Improvement in metal-plates for protecting the soles of boots or shoes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERARD SICKELS, 'OF ROXBURY, ll'lASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMNT IN METAL 4PLATES FOR PROTECTING THE SOLES OFVBOOTS 0R SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,329, dated May 20,.1862.

To @ZZ 'L1/7.1.0111, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERARD SICKELS, of the city of Roxbury, county ofNorfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Application of Metal to the Soles of Boots andSlices, called Shoe- Sole Protectors, for the purpose of econoinizingthe wear; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1A is a perspective view of the article on a scale about fourtimes larger than the size for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical view of thesaine. Fig. 3 represents a flat piece of metal of suitable shape `to beconverted into a protector, as hereinafter described. Fig. t representsa shoe-sole with protectors applied to it.

This invention consists in the application of small plates of metal tothe soles, each plate l1L ving a series of points or spurs attached tothe periphery, said spurs projecting at a right angle tothe plane of thedisk for the purpose of securing the plates firmly to the leather bymerely driving them.' It will be seen that by constructing these platesabout the size of a large nail-head they may be applied to thin solesthe same as to` thick ones in just sufficient quantities to relieve thewear and not interfere with the elasticity or lightness of the shoeforboot, the several short points or spurs being situated around theperiphery,

securing it more lfirmly than the ordinary one long stein or nail in thecenter of an ordinary nail head or plate which receives the wear. Thesearticles are made by first punching or pressing blanks out from sheetmetal, said blanks being shaped with wings or projections,

around the periphery of which to form thespurs aforesaid. Said blanksare afterward passed through another die, which is just the size of thebody of the blank or lozenge in order to turn the spurs up at a rightangle to the disk thereof. The punch which drives the lozenge throughthe raising-die is luted to receive the spurs as they are turned up inpassing through the die, said flutes being graduated so as to draw outand sharpen the ends of the spurs, thereby iitting them to enter theleather easily andhcld firmly. Having thus described myinvention, Iclaim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent as a newarticle of manufacture- A protector for the soles of boots and slices,consisting of a small disk of metal formed with sharp points or spursaround its periphery projecting at right angles to the plane of the diskand adapted to secure it to the sole by driving into the leather7 all ashereinbefore described.

GERARD sIcKEILs.

